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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22651246">steady as she goes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsori/pseuds/bitsori'>bitsori</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Day6 (Band), Wonder Girls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ahn Sohee is a Mystery, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Crush, F/M, Muses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:01:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22651246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsori/pseuds/bitsori</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Bro—don't you ever get tired of staring at her?” Brian asks as he plops his tray down on the cafeteria table, across where Jae is seated. The latter immediately averts his gaze, eyes blinking rapidly out of habit.</p><p>“I wasn't staring,” He denies, returning his attention to his half eaten mystery meat.</p><p>Except—<i>he was totally staring.</i></p><p>--</p><p>or: Sohee Ahn is a mystery. Also: Sohee Ahn is Jae's elusive muse. ( AU )</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ahn Sohee/Park Jaehyung | Jae</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>DAY6 &amp; GIRLS</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>steady as she goes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naladot/gifts">elliebell (Naladot)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <span class="small">expanded this from one of my many answers for a fake fic title meme <a href="https://twitter.com/hanmings/status/1206573634652794881?s=19">over here</a>. it was also in response to one of ellie's prompts, so it seems pretty fitting that this expanded version is also for her. i hope she (and anyone else abt to actually read this) enjoys this! ♡</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="small"><b>prompts used include:</b> high school au, gossip &amp; rumors, + this song:</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="small"><i>If I could write you a song to make you fall in love<br/>I would already have you up under my arm<br/>I used up all my tricks, I hope that you like this<br/>But, you probably won't, <br/>You think you're cooler than me</i><br/>— Cooler Than Me, Mike Posner</span>
</p><p> </p><p>  <span class="small">lastly, want to give everyone who participated in this random and lowkey exchange a shoutout. thank you for joining and contributing! ♥</span></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Bro—don't you ever get tired of staring at her?” Brian asks as he plops his tray down on the cafeteria table, across where Jae is seated. The latter immediately averts his gaze, eyes blinking rapidly out of habit.</p><p>“I wasn't staring,” He denies, returning his attention to his half eaten mystery meat.</p><p>Except—<em>he was totally staring. </em></p><p>Hard not to, because Sohee Ahn has very fascinating features, with her round cheeks and her catlike eyes – and a smile that was seldom seen, but lit up the room every single time it made an appearance.</p><p>So yeah, he was totally staring, and kinda waxing poetic in his head, but Brian didn’t really need to know that, not even as Jae's best (read: one and only) friend.</p><p>“Whatever you say, man,” Brian says, sounding totally unconvinced. But he soon turns to his own tray filled with food, and that was all the distraction he needed from razzing Jae some more. Frankly, he doesn’t understand how Brian can be so enthusiastic about the disgusting cafeteria food, but hey, if it gets Brian off his case, then thank God for little (sloppy) blessings.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>There are always at least a dozen rumors about Sohee Ahn going around at any given time.</p><p>When they were 13, Jae heard that she was supposedly a successful child model back in Seoul with a burgeoning career that was unfortunately cut off only because her family uprooted their lives there, and moved to California. For an entire week after Jae heard about that (he doesn’t even remember anymore from who – likely from gossip-mongering classmates on the bus home from school), he scoured the internet for pictures, even venturing into Korean websites using what piddling Korean he learned from his parents when he was a kid, only to come up with absolutely nothing.</p><p>High school was more vicious because with puberty came a certain kind of cruelty. People whispered about 15 year old Sohee left and right, murmured about her supposed relationship with Mr. Heechul Kim, the 24 year old Drama teacher. Jae always figured anyone lesser never would never have survived such a reputation – dating a teacher? <em> How scandalous! </em> But Sohee stood tall, kept her cool, and was voted homecoming queen two years in a row for it. (Jae still doesn’t know how true the rumors are – and he doubts 90% of the student body does, either.)</p><p>These days, Sohee Ahn has a Regina George type of mythos surrounding her: she's popular, she's beautiful, she's a little bit scary. But here’s the thing: Sohee Ahn is beautiful, and Sohee Ahn is popular, Sohee Ahn is a little bit scary, but none of these things is why she has caught Jae’s attention.</p><p>Jae often sees her by herself at the library after school, but at lunchtime she always sits at the table reserved for the popular kids. She has no extracurriculars that he knows of, but people always say acknowledge her presence in the hallways – not even Jae’s peers in the debate club do that with him a hundred percent of the time. She's intriguing, a complete enigma, and Jae just wants to know her secret—because maybe once the veil of mystery is lifted then he can finally stop writing songs about her.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>“Peer Review”<br/>
“Wonder Girl”<br/>
“Prom Queen”<br/>
“Sometimes the Walls Talk”<br/>
“Dumplin’” (not exactly his most poetic title, but he’d digress.)</p><p>All songs inspired by and dedicated to Sohee Ahn, written and composed by Jaehyung Park.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>Rewind:</p><p>The first time Jae laid eyes on Sohee was the summer before 5th grade. He had yet to turn 10, and Sohee was new in town with her family. Her parents signed her up for little league soccer, which was where Jae met her for the first time. He remembers thinking that her English was kind of funny,  but that didn’t matter because she looked absolutely cute with her knee high socks and brand new cleats, and her hair tied up in two buns that perfectly matched the roundness of her cheeks – needless to say, Jae was smitten from the get go. As smitten as any nine year old can be, anyway.</p><p>The two of them had warmed the bench next to each other for most of the time they shared as teammates – soccer wasn’t really Jae’s sport, apparently, and Sohee, well – even then, Sohee was a mystery so who knew what her actual soccer skills were?</p><p>And then right before sixth grade began, Jae switched gears and started playing badminton instead, and just like that, gone were afternoons of awkwardly kicking balls together, and weekends of awkwardly sitting next to each other on the bench, half-heartedly cheering for their teammates who lost more than they won games.</p><p>(Jae’s inner athlete finally emerged with a change in sport, but alas, he made about as many badminton friends as he did soccer friends, which is to say – none at all. But he used to spot his old soccer team, hanging out at the local Dairie Queen, having milkshakes after games, Sohee right in the thick of it all.</p><p>Not that that mattered for long – Sohee quit soccer after seventh grade anyway.)</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>These days, the only thing that Jae knows for sure about Sohee Ahn is that she was born on the 27th of June — and even this he only knows because it’s on her Facebook profile.</p><p>For all he knows, it could be fake information. That kind of thing is all over Facebook these days, or so he’s heard.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>“Got news for you man,” Brian says one afternoon, as he slides into the passenger seat of Jae’s car, casually throwing his bag into the backseat just like he does every single day.</p><p>“Huh?” Jae looks up, briefly pausing from fiddling with his car’s audio system. (He really really should get that fixed some time soon – it only plays two FM stations, and half the time it refuses to even detect his aux cord.) “What news?” He asks, sighing as he gives up and just tunes the radio onto one of the two stations it miraculously plays.</p><p>“Heard from Bernard who heard from Min who heard from Sunmi—” Brian starts to explain as he pulls the seatbelt over his chest to lock himself into the seat.</p><p>“Get on with it,” Jae tells him, exasperated at Brian’s attempt to dramatise whatever story he’s trying to tell.</p><p>“Sohee likes music.”</p><p>“Dude.” Jae winces. “Who <em> doesn’t </em> like music?!”</p><p>“No, I mean—like. She likes live bands. <em> That </em> type of music.” Brian further explains. “They know this because apparently Sunmi was trying to score tickets for the two of them to the Social Piranhas live at Club Tricks next Friday—Min works there now, did you hear?”</p><p>No, Jae didn’t hear – but it’s unsurprising that Brian has. He’s always been the type to be on the up and up; people <em> liked </em> to tell Brian things. Jae, on the other hand, only knew things from hearing whispers in the halls. (Come to think of it, that maybe plays a big part of why he knows nothing about Sohee. Maybe. <em> Probably.) </em></p><p>“Anyway,” Brian is still talking. “Maybe that’s something. Just casually go up to her man—strike a conversation with. At least music is a topic you know something about.”</p><p>He’s right, of course. Jae knows all the local bands; more than that, he has an opinion on the music of each and every one of the up and coming local acts. He knows which the good ones are, which the hype ones are, and most importantly – which the absolute posers are. Basically, he has a lot to say about the local band scene, and with that in mind, Brian has a point.</p><p>Besides, if anyone knows anything about this, it’s Brian because he’s actually someone who knows how to talk to girls. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to say that Brian is an <em> expert </em> at talking to girls. Well, Jae assumes he is anyway – Brian, after all, is someone you would call a serial monogamist. Five relationships in the last three and half years of high school qualifies, right?</p><p>So.</p><p>Strike a conversation with Sohee Ahn.</p><p>It really shouldn’t be that hard.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>Of course Jae, being Jae, doesn’t do as Brian advises.</p><p>Instead, he puts together a mix – 8 tracks overall, just the length of an average regular play album. He chooses only songs by local bands, most of them basement recordings that Jae had to hustle to even acquire (he might not have <em> friends </em> friends, but he has a pretty good online network of people that he manages to have discussions and debates on music with). Not one of the tracks are TOP 40, most of them just getting airplay at college radio stations, but each one is carefully chosen and curated to tell a sort of story.</p><p>(The secret goal is to make Sohee smile – to be frank Jae isn’t actually sure how ready he is for actual conversation to be had. Not that he’ll admit that out loud to anyone.)</p><p>At the end of the playlist, he adds a hidden track.</p><p>An all-original Jaehyung Park composition recorded in his bedroom, on his shitty laptop, at one in the morning when every other member of his household was asleep.</p><p>He doesn’t tell anyone – most especially Brian <em> fucking </em> Kang – about his course of action.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p><em> She walks down these hallowed hallways </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> Turning heads, turning hearts, </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> Oh, but if I could write a song to make her fall in love </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> Then I would have her in my arms </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> But alas, all I can do is wish and wonder </em> <em><br/>
</em> <em> A hundred and one secrets hidden behind her eyes </em></p><p>“Steady As She Goes,” EAJ</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>It’s three minutes past 4PM on a Thursday when Sohee marches towards Jae in the parking lot of their high school.</p><p>(Debate Society had adjourned early and now he had roughly half an hour of waiting around for Brian to do, and remind him again – why does he willingly chauffeur his friend around when Brian can easily catch a ride with any of his hundred and one acquaintances? Well—probably because Brian is his one real friend in high school, and he supposes that's as good a reason as any.</p><p><em> God— </em> he's really rambling in his head right now and he should stop because <em> Sohee Ahn. </em></p><p>Sohee Ahn is approaching him with a very determined look, and <em> damn, </em> scratch that.</p><p>
  <em> Sohee Ahn is standing right in front of him.) </em>
</p><p>“Hi,” Sohee says, and there's a very brief, almost negligible pause before she adds, “Jae.”</p><p>She actually knows his name, and it makes sense that she does, considering their year of silent bench bonding in little league soccer (not to mention years of going to school together, <em> obviously) </em> but Jae is surprised anyway. It probably shows on his face too, because Sohee’s very blank, very stoic expression breaks as she lets out small laughter, and he can only assume that it's because of the way he looks. (He'd be embarrassed but Sohee laughs really cutely, with her cheeks getting fuller while her eyes disappear into crescent moons – and this, he thinks, just might be the secret to her baffling popularity because in that moment every other thought flew out of his head.</p><p>No thoughts, head empty — <em> except for Sohee Ahn. </em></p><p>Clearly, in the years since little league, Sohee Ahn has become a lot more dangerous up close than she used to be. (Or maybe she always had this kind of power, but it's only now that she's actively seeked him out that Jae is experiencing the full force of it.)</p><p>“Uh, hi,” he manages to croak out, straightening up to his full height as if that will help him feel more level with her. (He towers over her, but spoiler alert: it doesn't really help him any.)</p><p>“This is from you, right?” She asks, even before she quickly goes through her messenger bag to pull out the hot pink jewel CD he had left for her in her locker last Monday – four entire days ago. (Don't ask how Jae got into her locker, he has promised to deny any and all involvement of one Dowoon Yoon.)</p><p>“Uh—“ He doesn't know what to say because he kind of wants to say yes but Sohee’s poker face is back on, showing absolutely no hints as to whether or not it would be good for Jae to take full credit.</p><p><em> (Oh shit, </em> he suddenly thinks because from the corner of his eye he suddenly spots Brian quickly approaching, looking like a mixture of amused and confused. <em> Not now, </em> Jae wills him away. It's bad enough that Brian would be intruding in on whatever moment this is between him and Sohee, but it's even worse that he'll likely give his best friend all sorts of ammo against himself once he ultimately embarrasses himself in this interaction. <em> Stay ten feet away at least, </em> he begs in his head. Brian doesn't miraculously obey – instead he keeps away at roughly five feet. Still within earshot, much to Jae's distress.)</p><p>Sohee gives him a weird glance. “Look, I had to borrow a Discman from a friend so I can listen to it,” she begins to explain, and just from that Jae immediately feels like such a loser for using such an outdated form of technology. “Solid playlist,” she compliments, and Jae almost beams out of pride, except, “that last song—that's you right?”</p><p>Jae blinks rapidly. <em> How the fuck does she know that?! </em></p><p>“Eaj,” Sohee continues (and if she senses any of Jae's inner turmoil it doesn't show on <em> her </em> face), “that's your name written backwards, isn't it?”</p><p><em> Fuck, </em> why did he choose such a lame and obvious pen name again? (Granted, it didn't feel or sound lame when he came up with it as a sophomore, and until roughly a week ago it vibed pretty cool for him – the way Sohee says it, however? Has opened his eyes to just how cringey it is. <em> Damn.) </em></p><p>“And it kind of sounds like you singing,” she points out, at which Jae almost short circuits because <em> how does Sohee Ahn know what he sounds like singing?! </em></p><p>(From his periphery, he notices that Brian's shoulders are starting to shake from laughter. Fuck him. But more importantly: <em> fuck Jae’s life.) </em></p><p>“Sunmi once linked me to you covering my favorite Rihanna song,” Sohee tells him. Probably because he's noticeably shocked. Sohee is startlingly adept at reading people, it seems – that, or Jae is just very transparent. “On YouTube? You have a channel, right?” He does – with a whopping four videos, and barely a 700 hits overall across the board. More than half of them are from that Rihanna cover, so he shouldn't be too surprised she saw that one out of all the videos.</p><p>“Oh. Yeah.” He nods.</p><p>Sohee sighs, and it has the complete opposite effect of her laughter from earlier. Jae <em> panics. </em> Internally, at least.</p><p>“Do you really not talk much?” Sohee asks, and then under her breath, barely audible, “I don't usually talk this much.”</p><p>“I, yeah, uh—” Jae quickly starts yammering. “Yeah I left that CD—and yeah that's my song at the end. Sorry, I didn't mean to be a creep but I heard you like those bands and I like those bands,” he laughs nervously, and he should really stop talking but the corner of Sohee’s mouth turns up, so he only gets more (embarrassingly) fired up. “And I like those songs so I figured you'd like them too.”</p><p>At this, Sohee completely laughs. “They're actually Sunmi’s favorites, not mine. I just listen to Top 40.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p><em> Oh. </em> Well that's a little disappointing, he has to admit. He didn't even realise how stoked he had been when he thought the two of them might have similar taste in music.</p><p>“But I enjoyed it,” she adds with a shrug. “So thank you. I really liked the original song.”</p><p>Never mind. All disappointment is gone just like that. <em> Sohee Ahn likes his song. </em></p><p>“Anyway,” Sohee drops the CD case back into her bag, and then she lifts her chin, eyes meeting Jae’s directly. “Look, next time you want to talk or give me, uh—music recommendations, just text me.” She briefly breaks eye contact as she glances sideways towards Brian who seems surprised to have his presence acknowledged; that doesn't stop him from giving Sohee a casual wave. “Brian knows my number,” Sohee tells Jae. “Or he can find out. Sunmi never hesitates in giving it away when people ask anyway—it's better than creepily breaking into my locker.”</p><p>It doesn't escape Jae that she's inadvertently calling him a creep, but she's also saying he's allowed to just contact her, so.</p><p>
  <em> So. </em>
</p><p>“Uh, okay,” he agrees. He should probably work on his vocabulary before he makes an attempt though.</p><p>But yeah. Brian. Sunmi. Sohee’s number.</p><p>She narrows her eyes at him, and then she shakes her head. He doesn't know if the slight twitch her mouth makes implies amusement or disappointment – curse Sohee Ahn for being so unreadable.</p><p>And curse himself for being so naturally inquisitive.</p><p>“See you around Jae,” she says finally, as if giving up on any more attempts at this failure of an interaction. Then with a wave, she turns on her heel, and just like that she's gone.</p><p>Brian, meanwhile, is by Jae's side in a split second, laughing quite obnoxiously.</p><p>“Dude!” He hollers, hands clutching at his stomach. “What was that?!”</p><p>With a groan, Jae flips him off and then slumps back to lean against the side of his car. He's gonna need a moment (or more) to recover, he thinks.</p><p>Brian, because he's a good guy at his core, and Jae's best friend for a valid reason, eventually tapers his laughter. “Hey man,” he says, his voice more sympathetic now as he squeezes Jae’s shoulder. “That was at least some kind of start.”</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p><b>jae: </b> uh hi this is jae<br/>
<b>jae: </b>from school</p><p><b>sohee: </b> yeah hi jae from school lol<br/>
<b>sohee: </b> was starting to think u’d never txt<br/>
<b>sohee</b>: but hey, how r u?</p><p> </p><p>(Sohee Ahn was waiting for him to text?</p><p><em> Huh, </em> Jae thinks.</p><p>Maybe this isn't completely hopeless after all.)</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><span class="small">if, for some reason, you actually clicked on this fic and made it to the end — i wholeheartedly appreciate you. i hope you enjoyed yourself! feedback, as usual is greatly appreciated. also: happy hearts day! ♥♡</span><br/><a href="http://twitter.com/hanmings">TWT</a> &amp;&amp; <a href="http://curiouscat.me/yiminho">CC</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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